Report examines what empowerment means for employees, why it matters for the bottom line and how leveraging talent management strategies can help to close the empowerment gap

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – December 15, 2010–Workforce empowerment should be a priority for businesses if they want to retain top talent and stay competitive as the market recovers, according to a new white paper from talent management software provider Cornerstone OnDemand. “The Empowered Workforce: Crucial to Success in the New Economy” explores the notion of empowerment – what it means for employees, why it matters for the bottom line, and how organizations can leverage learning and HR strategies to foster employee empowerment.

“Closing the empowerment gap is about providing employees with the tools they need to learn and grow, encouraging them to make their own decisions and enabling them to contribute to the success of the business,” said Charles Coy, Director of Product Marketing for Cornerstone OnDemand. “Empowerment also is a key driver of engagement, which can result in higher customer satisfaction, increased productivity, improved retention and a boosted bottom line.”

Research from the Gallup Organization shows that companies that had higher-than-average employee engagement also had 27 percent higher profits, 50 percent higher sales and 50 percent higher customer loyalty.1

“Ultimately, every company wants employees who are engaged in their work and empowered to succeed in their roles,” said Nina Ramsey, Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources for Kelly Services, a leading provider of global workforce management services. “Our customers want to work with front-line people who are fully capable of meeting their needs and are committed to delivering excellent service. It’s Kelly’s job to prepare our employees and ensure they are equipped to make key decisions that will help create loyal customers and, in turn, impact the success and profitability of our company.”

About Cornerstone OnDemand
Cornerstone OnDemand is a leading global provider of a comprehensive learning and talent management solution delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS). We enable organizations to meet the challenges they face in empowering their people and maximizing the productivity of their human capital. Our solution consists of five integrated platforms for learning management, enterprise social networking, performance management, succession planning and extended enterprise. Our clients use our solution to develop employees throughout their careers, engage all employees effectively, improve business execution, cultivate future leaders and integrate with their external networks of customers, vendors and distributors. We currently empower more than 4.36 million users across 164 countries and in 16 languages.